Painted Blue
by Ummm.NotSure
Summary: Both the blue spirit and the painted lady help those in need….And find that they can find happiness for them selves as well. its a zutara fic, there is a better description inside so ya... Oh and the will be lemon. Chapter 3 is UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer: I do not own avatar the last air bender, nor do I own the characters…**

**Okay in this story, Zuko is twenty two, and Katara is nineteen. Zuko lives in the palace with his father and sister, he was still scarred, but never banished. Katara travels around the nations, and helps out cities that are being over run or treated badly by fire nation soldiers. Sokka still lives in the south pole, but goes to visit his sister every once in a while, and the avatar is still missing. The war is growing old between the four nations, but Ozai still won't let up. This is a story about two totally different people who are fighting for the same cause…..Peace… Or at least trying to in Zuko's case… Both the blue spirit and the painted lady help those in need….And find that they can find happiness for them selves as well.**

**A Zutara fic….will have lemon in later chapters….**

**Um I decided to write this when I came across a bunch of beautiful drawings of these two as the painted lady and the blue spirit on deviant art, so I decided that I would base each chapter on a drawing or two… so hope you like it.. Below is the website address for the two drawings for this chap, so before you read the chapter go check out the drawings, and tell me what you think about the idea… Thankx…**

**electriktrinity./art/A-Life-in-Disguise-94698303**

**blackbirdsfly./art/The-Painted-Lady-66961623**

**I love reviews, like everyone else on this site, so please review and tell me what you think. The more reviews I get the faster I update.**

Katara walked through the dark streets in the lower ring of the massive kingdom of Ba Sin See. She moved slowly yet gracefully as her long dark purple robe flowed ever so elegantly behind her. Her head was held high, but the straw like hat that she was wearing was hiding the upper part of her face. There were barely any street lights in this part of town, and she knew that it was hard for people to see what she was wearing, but knew she was still receiving looks of confusion, curiosity, and skepticism. The looks and the whispers that she heard and saw never bothered her, her mind was always racing with millions of thoughts and fears.

This war was starting to seem like it was never ending. Ozai was still running strong, making the young and old men and women of his nation participate in this massacre he called a war. At his side he had his son Prince Zuko, and his daughter Princess Azula. She had never met them in person nor did she even know what they looked like, but she knew a great deal about them. She knew that the prince always did as his father told him, and accepted every mission he was put on, even ones that required him to do wrong to innocent people. She had cleaned up after his raids plenty of times, but after having to deal with the raids of Azula, she leaned that Azula was _much_ more cruel than her brother. She had always heard terrifying stories of the princess, one's that would give a grown man nightmares, but she never thought they were true…..and man was she wrong.

_If only the avatar would appear again and help his people, this war would end…..If only, _she thought to her self as she grabbed the knob of an old beaten down door that led to a whole in the wall she called home. She walked in and quickly closed the door locking it behind her and lit a candle. As the flame slowly started dancing around she sighed heavily as she once again caught a glimpse of what she was reduced to now a days. Reduced to living in conditions that any simple peasant would consider repulsive, but that was the price she had to pay. She was blessed with the healing touch, but lately she thought of it as more of a curse, though she would never admit it out loud. She was a nineteen year old girl who had no life, no family within hundreds of miles, and barely enough money and supplies to keep her alive and working well, and with what she did pretty much every night, she needed the food for strength.

Sometimes at night she would cry herself to sleep, cursing the fact that she left her home and family to help others that were desperately in need. But once the gallons of emotions that were overflowing were released, she would regain her composure and strength.

She squeezed her eye lids shut, hoping that for just one moment, and for one moment only, that when she opened her eyes the site that was before her would be gone and replaced with a more decent view. But of course when her eyes open all she saw was the hell whole that stood before her. Water was leaking from the roof, and bugs crawled around the room as if they owned it, oh and lets not forget the rock hard mattress that laid in the corner of her place. If was hard enough having to sleep in this place, and the bed certainly did not help. But she tried to never let any of this get to her…Tried. She knew what she was doing for these people was the right thing to do, but she truly did wish that someday someone would notice her actions and decide to help her out. She spends all of her time trying to give people back the happiness that they had seemed to of lost, but in doing so she forgot about the one thing that was more important…..Her happiness.

--

It was ten o'clock in the morning, and all of the fire nation was up and running. Everyone was doing something productive, whether it was working in stores, on the streets, soldiers patrolling, even the royalty seemed to be busy….all except for one….Prince Zuko. He sat in his mothers garden starring at his reflection "The Scarred Prince". Ever since he had gotten that scar when he was thirteen, it was all he could ever think about. The scar his father permanently imprinted on his own son was all he saw when his reflection starred back at him. There where mixed emotions that burdened him daily, and when ever his scar came into view, the burdens would become larger, fiercer, suffocating. When he was younger there were many times that he would break all the mirrors that stood in his room, fearing the site of his own face. His breaths would get hitched in his throat, and he would gasp and wheeze for air as tears of fear, pain, panic would engulf the brim of his eyelids, and the only way to regain his breath was to destroy the thing that was causing his panic. But when ever a mirror was destroyed, his father would order a new one to be put up in it's place. _The mirrors are there for a purpose, your uncle may have talked me out of banishing you, but that doesn't mean that I have let your crime go unpunished. You are to have mirrors in your room at all times, so you can see the face of the coward that is weaker than a new born child. The face that has disgraced both me and my nation. The face of the prince that will never become the powerful ruler he was meant to be. For the rest of your life you will stare at yourself in the mirror with the title of "The Scarred Prince."_

He remembered his fathers words as if it were yesterday. When he was younger he didn't understand what his father truly was, he was terrified of the man. Everyday for seven years he tried to show his father that he was a strong and powerful young man, and sometimes his father would show interest. After all the hard work he put into trying to be the power prince he was meant to be in his fathers eyes, the fire lord finally allowed his son to regain his honor. At first he felt as if he couldn't have been any happier, but as the last two years passed by, he found that maybe, just maybe all the hard work he went through…..was worthless.

For the most part of his life he was kept out of the loop about the war, he just assumed everyone was willing to give up there land. That Fire Lord Ozai was trying to spread all the wonderful things that the fire nation had to the rest of nations……How ignorant he was, he soon found out. After the seven clueless years of innocence passed, two years of living hell rose. His father would send him on missions, having him hurt and rob innocent people. It tore him up inside to see what his father was truly doing to these people, and what he was doing to these people, but he was prince Zuko, and Prince Zuko son of Fire Lord Ozai was forever loyal to his father and his nation.

He shook his head as he sighed heavily. "_If my mother knew what I've become……" _he said in his head. He dropped his head shamefully as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry mother." he spoke in a soft whisper. He slowly opened his eyes as he moved his hand away from his neck up to the top of his head where his shaggy hair was held up in a top knot, and slowly unraveled the red ribbon that held his hair, and let the gold fire emblem crown that showed his title fall worthlessly into the palm of his free hand. He slowly glided his thumb across the soft material as he studied it contently. Was all this fighting, deceiving, war….worth this piece of metal that he held in his palm.

Every night he risked losing his title and his life, but if he didn't pose as the blue spirit and try to regain his honor from the other nations, he would crack. No one would ever be able to know that the blue spirit was Prince Zuko, but he didn't need the fame of his heroic acts, no…..all he needed was the feeling of being redeemed, even if what he did to help would never make up for his actions as "Prince Zuko."…. But if he had to….He would live his life forever in disguise….

**Well I hope ya'll liked it… please review and tell me what yah think… the more reviews I get, the faster I will update… thankx again…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thankx for the reviews!! You have no idea how happy they make me. Glad every one liked it...So heres the next chapter..**

**Oh and the drawings that go with it...**

**ca-cha./art/painted-lady-Nr-003-spoiler-67046699**

**elocinaqui./art/Avatar-The-Blue-Spirit-74603538**

**Okay on with the chapter**

Katara was awaken by a loud rapture coming from her door. For a couple of minutes she tried ignoring it, hoping that the person who so rudely woke her up from her slumber would take the hint and go away, but to her dismay the person didn't. She growled softly, rolling her eyes as she through the covers off her sore petite body, and grabbed her robe as she made her way to the door.

The banging was now coming a lot faster and louder at that. She usually wasn't a temper mental person, but when she experienced lack of sleep and was woken up from a good nap; she would sometimes grow extremely grumpy. She gripped the knob fiercely; her knuckles turning a shade of a pale white, and tried to calm herself by taking a couple deep breaths. After a moment of that she realized that it wasn't working, so she swung the door open harshly and glared daggers at the person standing in front of her...That was until she realized who it was.

"Sokka!!" She squealed as she through her arms around his neck, holding him in a death grip.

"Ka-ta-ra yo-ur Cho-king Meee." He manged to say between gasps of air

"Oh sorry..." She said as she backed off of him, rubbing the back of her neck in an embarrassing way.

"That's fine sis." he said as he smiled lightly, once again bring her back into his arms.

"I've missed you so much Sokka." she said as she buried her face into his chest, letting tears of joy soak his shirt.

"Awww...Kataraaaa...My shirttt..." he whined.

"Gods Sokka, you never change." she said as she laughed lightly, wiping her tears away.

"Ya... Ya... So are you going to invite me in, or keep me standing here all day?"

She quickly turned her head to look at her place, then turned back to him knowing very well what her answer was going to be.

"Keep you out here." She said as she shut the door behind her so he couldn't see her living arrangements. He eyed her skeptically for a few seconds, then brought his hands to her shoulders gripping firmly; making her squeak, surprised at how strong he had become. _"When the hell did he get so strong..." _she thought to herself, but was quickly brought out of her thoughts when she realized he had moved her and was now standing inside her home.

"Sokka!! No!! Wait!!" She almost yelled as she gripped his arm trying to pull him back out, but failed miserably. So she stood there starring at what was now his back, as he starred at his surroundings intently.

"Katara..." He let out in a soft whisper as he dropped his head shaking it.

The way he said her name made shivers run up and down her spine, he said it in a way that only a sister could understand. He was worried about her. It was one thing for her to be living in a place like this, but it was another thing for her family to know where she's living. She sighed heavily as she dropped her head in shame awaiting for his next choice of words.

"Katara...Come back home with me...You shouldn't be living in these conditions..." he said as he turned to face her. Katara who was still ashamed kept her eyes focused on the floor as she spoke.

"Sokka... You know I can't do that...I have a gift, and I need to honor that gift, and help those who are in need..."

"Katara look at this place...look at you... You have huge bags under your eyes, not to mention your eyes no longer show the life with in you. You have bruises, cuts and you look like you haven't eaten or slept in days...You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of other people!" He said sounding way to much like a father figure.

"Sokka...I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me..." She said so low that he almost missed it. She was now starring at him, her eyes searching his for emotions, but the portrayed none.

"Look, how about we go get something to eat for dinner, it's seven o'clock at night and I'm assuming that you slept the whole day...Will talk about this later on."

"Sure Sokka...Let me just take a bath before we go."

"Oh gods... I know how long that takes... while you do that, ima go a browse through the shops... I'll be back in like an hour.."

"Okay." And with that her brother left her home, leaving her there to stare at the door. Slowly but surely she was able to pry her eyes away from the door, and headed into her bathroom. The second she stepped foot into the bathroom, the first thing she saw was her reflection. The reflection of a young women who was trying to find herself. She was lost. It was true, her brother was right, you could no longer see the life burning inside of her.

She slowly raised her hand and placed it softly on the mirror, covering the reflection of the face she no longer recognized. She sighed heavily as she dropped her head, silently pleading that all her trouble, worries, and fears would disappear. She dropped her hand once again looking at her face, and slowly started undressing herself. She brought her hand to the upper part of her chest and slowly started massaging the aching pain around her neck, then slid her hand underneath her shirt and started to pull it off. She did this for the rest of her clothes, taking her time. Once she was completely undressed she once again just stared at her reflection. Her hands started gliding along every part of her body, starting with her stomach. For a healer, she wasn't taking very good care of herself. As her hand slowly caressed her own body, all she felt were bruises, cuts, gashes and dried blood. She skin felt old, unkempt, rough, and for the first time in a while she realized this. She felt her chest tighten as tears well up in her eyes, and the next thing she knew, her head was in a toilet. It was sickening, so very sickening to see her self like that.

After her insides were cleansed, she stood up and washed out her mouth. Once that was done, she took a couple of deep breaths, and pushed all the unpleasantry away for the time being. She walked over to her bathtub, the one thing that she always made sure was spotless, and started the water. It didn't take long for the tub to fill, and with in seconds she was lying there without a single troubled thought running through her mind.

She laid there unmoving for about a good half an hour, then decided it was time that she started to take better care of her self. She inhaled deeply and brought her hands to the surface of the water, then exhaled. Her brilliant blue eyes opened and gazed upon the glowing blue water that had engulfed her body. She sighed contently as the water rejuvenated her body, then took a deep breath and dunked her head under the water. Within a couple of seconds she whole body from head to toe felt healthy, strong, and beautiful once again. She slowly brought her head out of the water inhaling the fresh air that surrounded her, and smiled lightly. She bathed then she stood up, letting the water drain, then once again walked back over to her mirror, and for the first time in a couple years, she looked like "Katara". But there was something still missing. It was something about her eyes, yes they now showed a little more life then before, but they just weren't as blue as they used to be. If someone truly stood there and stared into her eyes, they would be able to tell all the hardship she had been through, and was still going through.

She walked away from the bathroom, and went to her closet looking for the one outfit she hadn't worn in so long, and put it on. Once she was dressed she water bent the water out of her hair, leaving it to flow gracefully down her back. This time when she saw her reflection the only thing she could do was smile. So there she was standing in the middle of her room grinning like an idiot, but how could she not. Not only did she look and feel better, but for the first time since she had left the south pole, she was wearing her blue trade mark south pole clothing. She felt like she was once again home, that was until she looked around her room, but quickly ignored the site and stepped outside, not wanting to lose the feeling of slight happiness she had stumbled upon.

She only had to wait five minutes, before she saw her brother walking towards her with a huge goofy grin occupying his lips, which she so greatly returned.

"Katara...You look fresh.." He said laughing jokingly.

"Ha ha Sokka... so what's in the bag?"

"Oh...nothing, I'll show you later, let me go put this in your place than we'll go."

"Sure..."

"Okay you ready?"

"Yup...So where are we going?"

"When I was traveling over here, I passed by this little town that is not to far, and I have to say they serve some great food."

"Oh...okay.."

They both walked side by side chatting non stop with one another about there lives and what not, and before they knew it they were coming up to the town. They only had like a minute left of walking, and Katara could hear both of there stomaches growling. She started to walk faster, then started to slow when she saw orange and blue glowing coming from the center of the small town, her heart started to race as the thought of blue flames plagued her thoughts, the then sound of screaming made her heart stop dead. She turned to look at her brother and saw his face expressing both worry and anger.

"Sokka we need to help them." She said as she started to walk towards the commotion, but was stopped by her brothers strong hands.

"Katara this isn't our fight, we need to go!"

"No Sokka!"

"Katara you can't save everyone!!"

"Sokka let me go!!"

"No Katara, I'm your older brother and I have to take care of you!! Your not going anywhere!!"

"How dare you Sokka!! I am a grown women, who is capable to make her own decisions!!"

"Not around me your not!! Now lets Go!!"

"What didn't you understand about what I told you earlier!! I WILL NEVER EVER TURN MY BACK ON PEOPLE WHO NEED ME!!" And with that by sheer luck she managed to free herself from from his grasp, and started running towards the fighting, and when she got there she felt her whole body go rigid. There standing right in front of her was Princess Azula fighting against a person dressed in all black with a demonic looking blue and white mask. They were both equal opponents, both managing to land blows on one another, but of course Princess Azula some how managed to position herself behind the person she was fighting. She had the person standing there motionless as she held a dagger made out of her signature blue flames pressing into his neck. She could only imagine the pain the person was feeling, but to her amazement the person didn't show it.

"Well...well...well... I finally caught the notorious "Blue Spirit"." She heard the princess hiss.

"My father is fed up with you trying to ruin his plans...He says if you are captured you are to be killed on the spot, and I have to admit i'm glad i'm the one who gets to do it. Not to mention you should honored to be killed by me." She said in a tone that showed way to much enjoyment.

"But before I kill you, I would love to see who traitor under this stupid mask is..." and with that she slowly started to pull away the mask, but the blue spirit wasn't to happy about it. He started to thrash around and tried to fight, but the princess just simply dug the flame deeper into his neck. This time the pain was to much for him to hold, and he let out a grunt. The princess smile wickedly before she once again started at the mask. Now the mask was half way off his face, and Katara could see the panic by his body language, and decided it was time for her to step in. She hastily uncorked her water pouch and sent ice daggers straight for the princess who was caught off guard by them. She managed to dodge the lot of them, but the last one snagged her and made her fly backwards away from the blue spirit. Once Azula was occupied for the moment Katara let her eyes wander back the the man standing a ways in front of her, and gasped when she found his golden eyes piercing through her very soul.

* * *

Zuko stood there starring a the young girl who had just spared his identity and not to mention his life. Her eyes blue as could be stared as his with confusion and what he thought was a little bit a fear. He went to take a step forward, not knowing why he was walking towards the beautiful girl with eyes so pure, but there was just something about her that was pulling him towards her. Once he was standing in front of her he had no idea what to do. All they did was just stare into each others eyes intently...

**Thankx for reading this chapter...Sorry but I had to leave it here, but I promise I will update soon.. please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Thankx to all who reviewed, I really appreciate it, you have NO idea... I'm so glad you guys like this... Well again Thankx**

**Now heres the Pictures...**

**greenifyme./art/Katara-55910143**

**under-the-apple-tree./art/Zuko-and-Mai-jdeberge-78066984**

**tigershinigami./art/Prince-Zuko-66183982**

**Oh!! It's my birthday tomorrow!! The 26th. So PLEASE as a birthday gift, review and tell me what you think...Thankx...**

Both temporarily lost in each others gazes as the sounds of yelling and screaming started to fade. Her blue eyes fishing for something in those pits of fierce flames, as he drowned in her piercing pools of endless blue. Everything around them was a blur, there was just something, something about each of there eyes that hypnotized each other.

"_His eyes...there so..." Katara's thoughts ran._

"_Her eyes...there so..." Zuko's thought's ran._

The trance broke when they both heard a faded yelling of a name.

"katara...Katara...KATARA!!"

Finally after the third time, they were both brought back to reality. Katara pried her eyes away from his in search of her brother, but he was no where in site, so she turned back to the man in the mask and gasped when she saw the eyes that were once burning so brightly, fade filled with confusion and anger.

"Get out of here!" He growled.

"What?" She asked not understanding him.

"Get out of here, you don't belong here!!" He said as he gripped her wrist firmly.

"What?!...If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead, you ungrateful little shi-." She said but was cut off by a fierce whisper.

"I don't need your help peasant!! Just go away!!" By now katara could feel her blood boiling, and she could have sworn, if she were a fire bender, she would have burnt him to a crisp. She ripped her wrists away from his grasp and walked up to his face. Her eyes showed no fear as she held her ground under his fierce gaze.

"I hate people like you, people who get into trouble and need help, but never admit it. The kind of people who let there pride swallow them whole. If you want to fight alone, fine so be it, but just remember... if it weren't for this _peasant_ you would be dead right now !" With that she turned her back on the blue spirit and walked away with her head held high. She found her brother not to far away fighting a few soldiers, and with a little help from her they were able to get away.

Zuko watched as the young women walked away, and felt like kicking himself in his ass. His anger and pride always got in the way of things, he hurts people who truly care about him, and people who are just trying to help. He tries to hold back his fierce temper, but he just can't sometimes. To many things rush through his head all at once, things no one should be burdening, and when they all try to surface, he just breaks. The true prince Zuko surfaces.

--

Zuko woke with a cold sweat panting profusely. He again had another nightmare about his mothers disappearance. He sighed heavily as he sat up, letting the covers fall from his bare chest. He hunched over as he took a few breaths, and tensed when he felt a warm hand running up his back. Once he realized who it was he relaxed but not fully. He just sat there as mai slowly made her way into a sitting position, pressing her naked form against his warm back. They both sat in silence for what seemed like forever, until she finally spoke.

"Zuko...You need your rest..."

"I know mai, I just can't sleep...I have to much on my mind." He lied...there was only one thing on his mind, and it had nothing to do with his mother or the fire nation...He had her on his mind.

"Just forget everything for one night...Please..." she said as she brought her petite hand onto his bruised shoulder.

"Okay mai..." He said as he brought his hand to rest on top of hers. He looked back at her a gave her a fake smile before he turned back around and let both his head and smile falter. He sat like that for a couple seconds longer before he pulled his self out of her grasp and laid back down. She followed suit, and with in a few minutes he heard her breathing slow down.

He closed his eyes hoping sleep would take, but to his dismay it didn't come. Even though his eyes were closed, his vision was obscured by the site of those blue eyes. Never in a battle had he ever froze like that. It was stupid of him, he could have gotten hurt, not to mention that girl as well. But there was just something about her... something that drew him to her. He felt so lost yet found at the same time in those eyes that stared deeply into his own...

Once again he took a couple deep breaths and cleared his mind. He really needed his sleep, and he didn't need any distractions, especially one of a water bender.

The night went roughly okay for the scarred prince, he had only woken up a few times after he had spoken with mai. It was now ten o'clock in the morning. He probably would have slept a little longer, due to the night he had, but the sound of the maids walking back and forth in his room woke him. He sighed heavily before he sat up and dismissed the maids from their duty. Once they were gone he got out of bed and looked at his surroundings. Everything seemed in order, but the one thing that was out of place was mai...she was no longer in bed. He stared at the spot she sleeps in for a couple of seconds, then made his way to take a shower.

After he showered he walked over to the mirror that stood in his bathroom, and examined his reflection. His chest and back were full of bruises and he was in a lot of pain, but he could easy hide both of them, but the one thing that really caught his attention was the bloodied scar on the side of his neck. He needed to hide the scar that Azula gave the "blue spirit", and the only thing he could think of that would help was one of his high collared shirts. He rolled his eyes at the thought of wearing the itchy attire, but sucked it up and got dressed.

Once he was dressed he walked to the door that led out of his room, and gripped the knob sighing heavily. He knew once he opened the door and stepped out, that he would have to be "Prince Zuko" of the fire nation...

He finally opened the door, and mentally screamed when the first site he saw was his sister Azula. She was standing directly in front of him, with a look that she could only pull off.

"Did I scare you zuzu?" She said as a wicked smile started to form.

"What do you want Azula?" He asked not in the mood.

"Oh...Nothing...I just wanted to come and see how my favorite brother is." She said sarcastically.

"Ha ha...favorite brother...Your too funny...Now if you don't mind, I have to go.." He said as he started to walk off past her.

"Hey zuzu!...I just have one question for you before you leave..." She said as she watched his body stop and go rigid.

"What Azula?"

"You _Hate _high collared shirts...and you never were them, so my question is why are you wearing one now...or better yet..._what are you trying to hide_?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes at him and let a small smirk occupy her lips. He hated that smirk, she always did it when she "knows" she's right. If he could he would rip the smirk off her face and put her in her place, but he couldn't.

"I'm not hiding anything Azula, and whats it to you anyways?"

"Oh nothing...I'm sure by now you've heard that I almost caught the blue spirit last night...and I injured him... on the side of his neck..." She said as her smile faltered and she stared at him fiercely.

"Your point?" Zuko asked, already knowing exactly where she was going.

"Well...I just find it very...well how should I put it...ummm..._c__oincidental_ that the night after the blue spirit was injured, you decided to wear your high collar shirt that just so happens to cover your neck...and everyone knows you hate those shirts so very much...Ha ha...but what am I saying..."Prince Zuko " son of the fire lord, the heir to the thrown would never betray his nation..." She said as she once again smiled at him wickedly.

"No I would never betray my country...so whatever your trying to comply, just drop it..."

"As you wish _brother..."_

"By the way zuzu... dad decided to put me in charge of the raid tonight. With the "blue spirit" and the "Painted lady" around, he decided that I was more capable of dealing with them." Zuko stared at her, mentally cursing her for the way she talked to him and looked at him. He rolled his eyes and shrugged , not giving her that sanctification of him throwing a fit.

"The Painted Lady?" he asked.

"Oh yes...you haven't heard of her, she's a dark skin blue eyed girl who runs around at night dressed as our beloved painted lady, saving the little towns that we try to raid. If you ask me, she's much more of a challenge than the blue spirit, but that's just my opinion."

"Which your entitled to. Now if your finish with this pointless conversation, I'll be on my way."

"Of course zuzu...We all know "Prince Zuko" is a very busy man." She said as she chuckled lightly. Zuko paid no mind to her last comment, and just kept walking.

"Oh...Zuzu...you were never a good liar..." She said lightly as she stood there with her arms crossed, watching her brother walk off...

**Well there you have it... I hope everyone enjoyed it... the next chapter will be out soon, and the blue spirit and the painted lady will meet... XD...**

**Oh!! It's my birthday tomorrow!! The 26th. So PLEASE as a birthday gift, review and tell me what you think...Thankx...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everybody, thanks for all the comments and favs as well as the alerts, they are all greatly appreciated.... I am truly sorry for how long it has taken me to get this chapter up, I work all night now, and sleep during the day, so its kinda hard to keep up with it, but I promise I will start writing more frequently for now on... so again thankx for you patients..**

**Chapter 4**

"Katara what the hell were you thinking!!"

"Not now Sokka I'm still sleeping." she interjected groggily.

"I don't care, I let you sleep all last night when we came home. I didn't so much as say a word to you last night and through out the day. I let you sleep when in reality I felt like throttling you!!"

"Sokka...." she whined as she slammed her head into her pillow.

"NO KATARA!! Now you listen to me, and you listen really good!! What your...."

"Sokka!"

"Doing is crazy, we could have been..."

"Sokka!!"

"Killed. Do you have any idea who you attached!!"

"Sokka!!!" She yelled as she through her body off her "_bed_" and right up into his face. He felt his whole body freeze as he stared into his sisters fierce gaze, a gaze that could make any grown man fall to his hands and knees cowardly, but somehow me managed to stand his ground as he listened.

"I am grown ass women. I don't need you or our fathers permission to do anything. How dare you come into my house and treat me as a child. Now you listen to me, and you listen to _me _really good. I have a wonderful gift to help heal and fight people, and I'll be damned if I let that go to waste. I don't need you here to lecture me about safety and what not. So if you cant get over what I do and how I do it, I suggest you get your things and get out!!"

"Katara..."

"NO Sokka!!..No more, either you accept what I'm doing and show me some respect, or get out..."

Katara watched as her brother stared at her disbelievingly, and couldn't help the pang of guilt that engulfed her. She sighed heavily ready to open her mouth and apologize, but before she could say anything he moved away from her and grabbed his things, then looked back at her one last time shaking his head in a disapproving way.

The look he gave her said he wanted to say something, but all he did was toss a bag at her roughly, taking her by surprise. The bag hit her stomach then fell to the floor, she bent down to grab it and as she stood back up all she heard was the slamming of her door, and saw nothing but an empty room.

Empty.....a feeling she felt all to much lately.

-----

Zuko walked down the hall leaving his sister in his wake, scolding his self for being so careless the night before.

His sister knew, he had no doubt about it. But the question was did she tell their father. He knew there was a ninety nine percent chance she didn't. She would want to catch him in the fact, that he was almost positive about. If it wasn't for the waterbender his identity would have been revealed and everything he was working towards would have been lost....including his life.

He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts when the sound of one of his fathers guards spoke up.

"Prince Zuko, your father requests your audience in the thrown room at once."

His whole body knotted up, fearing for a moment that his sister had gone to his father. He had only tow choices.....run like hell or face his father. Standing dead still he heard the guard speak up once again, this time more impatiently. He got a hold of himself, reminding his self that Azula was smarter than to just run to their father and squeal, so he took the chance and nodded his thanks to the guard and made his way towards the room. Arriving in front of the door he took a deep breath, praying to agni that it wouldn't be his last. Finally after a couple of seconds he pushed his way through the enormous steel doors.

His father sat behind his signature flamed wall, with no expression once so ever. Zuko walked forward his back straight and his head held high, then bowed down in respect towards the man.

"Stand."

He did so.

"You requested my audience my lord?"

"Yes prince Zuko." "By now your sister has most likely told you that she is to take your place for the rest of the raids from now on, has she not."

"Yes father."

"Figures.....I'm not sure the reason she told you for my actions, so listen to me very carefully."

"Yes my lord."

"There have been rumors spiraling around that the avatar has resurfaced. An air nomad, the last one."

"Father, if you don't mind me saying, the avatar disappeared a hundred years ago. The chances of him being alive today are slim to none."

"You don't think I know that prince Zuko!! This is just something that we can not ignore, the avatar is our only subtable threat. Now if this is to much for you to handle, than I can have your sist...."

"No!!....I am more than capable of capturing the avatar."

"Nice to hear. Now listen very carefully to your orders. You will be sent to ba sin se undercover as a poor refuge. You will live in the worst part of ba sin se, most likely with the most horrid homes, and peasants. You are to play that part and play it well. You are to be nice to the people around you, gain their trust and respect, as you keep an eye out for the avatar. If or once you have spotted the avatar, you are to befriend, gain his trust and once you have that, you are to kill him and bring him back to our nation. DO NOT I repeat DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HIS ABILITIES, because if you do, you WILL fall, and bring shame to both your family and nation.....Do you understand me so far."

"Yes father...."

"You will go by the name lee, find a job, live a real peasant life. Every month one of my men will meet you two miles away from ba sin se for your report and progress. You leave right now, your driver has a decent amount of money so you can get started as well as a fake passport and a change of earth peasant attire. He will drop you off about a mile away from ba sin se, then give you and ostrich horse, once he has done that you will be on your own."

"No one from this nation knows about this, not even your sister. Only two of my most trusted advisors know, and it will stay that way."

"What do I tell mai?"

"Don't worry about her, I will tell her something legitimate, so she doesn't go snooping around."

"Now once you leave here, head straight for the prison holds underneath our palace, there someone will escort you to your driver.....i hope you will not fail me and bring shame upon me once again Prince Zuko. This is the time for you to truly redeem yourself and prove that you are worth more than what certain people think."

"Yes my lord." Zuko said as he gritted his teeth, hating the way his father still saw him as a fuck up.

"Good......Now go."

Zuko bowed his head once last time, then started to make his way towards his destination.

----

The ride to the earth kingdom was a pleasant one, but once he actually entered the nation he instantly felt....dirty and disgusted. It was about six in the evening and the sun was already setting once he made it to the little shit whole his fathers men rented out for him, and man was is bad. It was small, way to small for his likings. It was like a box with a restroom attacked. No kitchen, no nothing, there was a bed in the corner soaked to the bone with bugs crawling all over it, and to top it off there was a man and women fighting next door.

"Great.....Just great...What the hell did I get myself into this time.....shit..." He complained as me dropped his stuff on the floor and walked outside to sit on his little porch. Just as his butt was about to hit the floor, the man, who zuko assumed was fighting with the women, stormed out of the house with his shit in tow, slamming the door and cursing incoherent things.

"Trouble in paradise" Zuko said to his self as he chuckled lightly.

A few seconds went by and just as he thought, the women in the fight stepped outside looking for her "lover" he supposed.

"He went that way."Zuko said, trying to be polite.

The girl turned towards him, glaring at him menacingly, and for a second he could have sworn that his heart had stopped beating.

"Thanks." she mumbled as she started in the direction. He stared at her as she started to walk, and couldn't help the next words that came out of his mouth.

"It's you....." he said, still staring at her dumbly. She stopped her tracks and slowly turned back towards him confused.

"Excuse me ?"

Those eyes......he would know those eyes from anywhere.

"Nothing, I was just talking to my self." he said quickly trying to hide his mistake.

"Oh..... You know you look kinda familiar....do we know each other?"

"No...." He said as he stood ready to bolt inside.

"Your neck...Your hurt...." She said coming closer, staring at him suspiciously.

"It's nothing..."

"But...."

"I said it was nothing, can't you peasants hear right!!" He practically yelled, forgetting to keep his temper in check as usual.

"Us peasants?? Excuse me but you obviously don't have a mirror, would you like to use mine because your obviously look just like a peasant just like me..... you ass.!!" she yelled, then turned and walked back into her home slamming the door.

"Shit!!"

_Go over their zuko.... you need to gain everyones trust and respect.... Shit....but she's so damn irritating...go over there...._ he silently argued with his self.

He sighed heavily, silently cursing his father as he knocked on her door. He knocked a couple times but there was no answer, so he shrugged and started to walk away and was startled when the door swung open. The look she was giving him was killer, but he found that he had no problem staring into those eyes of hers.

"What do you want "your highness" ? She spat.

"Excuse me..." he panicked thinking she saw right through is cover.

"You knocked on my door, what do you want!"

"Oh...............i just wanted to say im sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

**lol... ya ima have to leave it hear, but I swear I will have the next chapter up soon..i hope ya liked it... nothing big happened but ya... please review... thank you...  
**


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